Owen J. Gromme (1896-1991)
Horicon Marsh - Canada Geese, 1949
signed "Owen J. Gromme" lower right
oil on canvas, 29 3/4 by 39 3/4 in.

According to the Webster family, “The Horicon Marsh was fairly close to where Owen [Gromme] lived, and he was a big supporter of conservation efforts there. Each fall upwards of 200,000 Canada geese migrate through, and Owen was fond of telling stories of his painting research outings, and the clouds of geese that darkened the skies."

Bill Webster writes, “[I] was amazed at all the Canada geese in one painting and the different attitudes of the birds. Owen had built a wooden goose model with wire between the wooden pieces. Dad thought that was amazing because Owen could manipulate the model to show the bird in different stages of flight.”

In his notes on “Horicon Marsh - Canada Geese,” Bill Webster discusses how he acquired the painting, saying, “In the Late 1960’s, exact date unknown, but probably before founding Wild Wings in 1967, I received a phone call from an elderly Mrs. Nick Kahler. She explained that someone told her I buy paintings by Owen J. Gromme. Her husband, the owner of the two largest Sports Shows in the country, Minneapolis and Kansas City, had recently passed away, and she had moved from a large home in the suburbs to a high rise condominium in downtown Minneapolis; and in the closet taking up a lot of room was a large painting of ducks or geese by Owen J. Gromme that her husband bought from Mr. Gromme in 1947 or 1948. It was a good fit in their big house, but she didn’t want it nor had any room to hang it in her new apartment.

"I arranged to stop within a few days and look at it. Which I did, as having met Owen via the WBW 'knock on the door' introduction, a few years earlier, I was anxious to see the painting. Up on the 17th floor and this time a knock on Mrs. Kahler’s door which she promptly opened and ushered me in. Then pulled the painting out of the closet, and much to my surprise was the Horicon Marsh-Canada Geese original oil that on one of my visits with Owen earlier he told me about the painting he literally worked on all one summer, 30” x 40” with over 120 geese some standing some flying. At the time he didn’t tell me who it was painted for but the minute I saw it I knew this was the painting, which he had sold for $500. And would never do another one with that many birds in it, nor he said would any other artist as it was far too much work for what he sold it for.

"I asked Mrs. Kahler what the price was, and she said, 'Nick probably paid $500 for it, and if you’ll haul it out of here right now for that, it’s all yours.'

"I’m sure that in a lifetime of buying and selling, this 10 minutes was by far the quickest to 'seal a deal' for a painting. I had it cleaned and varnished, and have spent 40 plus years thoroughly enjoying it hanging on the wall and seeing the painting every time I walk in my office.”

Provenance: Collection of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Kahler
William B. Webster III Collection, purchased from the above
Private Collection, Wisconsin, acquired from The Winter Sale 2016, lot 46

Exhibited: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, "Wisconsin Outdoor Exposition," Sept 10-18, 1949.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, "A Retrospective Exhibition, The Wildlife Art of Owen J. Gromme," The Milwaukee Public Museum, June 6-16, 1980.

Literature: Fred Ott, "The Milwaukee Public Museum Presents a Retrospective Exhibition, The Wildlife Art of Owen J. Gromme," Milwaukee, WI, 1980, p. 11, illustrated.

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